Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh

Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh Church of Ireland
Province:	Armagh
Arms of the Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh
Kilmore Cathedral, County Cavan
Bishop:	Ferran Glenfield
Cathedral:	St Fethlimidh's Cathedral, Kilmore, St John the Baptist Cathedral, Sligo
Organisation
Details
Website:	kilmore.anglican.org

The Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh (or technically the 'United Dioceses of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh' is a diocese of the Church of Ireland located in central Ireland, and part of the Province of Armagh. It is one of twelve dioceses of the Church of Ireland.

The diocese serves all of County Leitrim, almost all of the counties of Cavan, Longford and Roscommon, plus smaller parts of the counties of Westmeath, Sligo, Donegal and Fermanagh. It was created by the union of dioceses in the 19th century; part of a reorganisation carried out due to declining populations.

History

The three dioceses of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh were first created in the early and mid-12th-century. The sees of Elphin and Ardagh were established at the Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111 and the see of Kilmore (originally called Tirbrunensis, Triburnia or Tybruinensis) at the Synod of Kells in 1152.

At the Reformation in the 16th century, the Church of Ireland was reformed on the same lines as was the Church of England. In these three dioceses though the reformed church did not hold the allegiance of the majority of the population.

The historic sees of Kilmore and Ardagh were intermittently united in the 17th and 18th centuries until they were finally united in 1839. They were further merged with the see of Elphin in 1841 to form the current Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh. It is for this reason that the united diocese has two cathedrals in current use as well as a number of deconsecrated cathedrals.

Cathedrals

St John the Baptist Cathedral, Sligo

The diocese has two cathedrals as a legacy of its having formerly been three bishoprics:

• St Fethlimidh's Cathedral, Kilmore
• St John the Baptist Cathedral, Sligo.

There had been two other cathedrals, but are now in ruins.

• St Mel's Cathedral, Ardagh was severely damaged by warfare in 1496 and was never restored.
• St Mary's Cathedral, Elphin was destroyed by a violent storm on 4 February 1957 and abandoned in favour of St John the Baptist, Sligo in 1961.

Parishes

Each of the dioceses is divided into a number parish groups.

Diocese of Kilmore Annagh (Belturbet) Arvagh Bailieborough Drumgoon (Cootehill) Drung Florencecourt Kildallan Kildrumferton

Killeshandra Kilmore (Cathedral) Kinawley Lurgan (Virginia) Manorhamilton Swanlinbar Urney (Cavan)

Diocese of Elphin Boyle and Riverstown Calry Drumcliff Roscommon Sligo (Cathedral)

Diocese of Ardagh Ardagh Mostrim (Edgeworthstown) South Leitrim Templemichael (Longford)

Bishops

From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1841	1854	John Leslie	Appointed Bishop of Elphin in 1819; became bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh on 15 October 1841; died in office 22 July 1854
1854	1863	Marcus Beresford	Nominated 14 August and consecrated 24 September 1854; translated to Armagh 15 October 1862; his father was George de la Poer Beresford, Bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh;
1863	1870	Hamilton Verschoyle	Formerly Chancellor of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin and Dean of Ferns; appointed by letters patent 24 October and consecrated 26 October 1862; died 28 January 1870.
1870		Charles Leslie	Nominated 8 April and consecrated 24 April 1870; died 8 July 1870; his father was John Powell Leslie, bishop above 1841–54
1870	1874	Thomas Carson	Nominated 9 September and consecrated 2 October 1870; died 7 July 1874
1874	1884	John Darley	Previously the Headmaster of Dundalk Grammar School; elected 23 September and consecrated 25 October 1874; died 20 January 1884
1884	1897	Samuel Shone	Formerly Curate of St Thomas' Rathlin; elected 26 March and consecrated 25 April 1884; resigned c. 1 September 1897; died 5 October 1901
1897	1915	Alfred George Elliott	Elected 2 September 1897; consecrated 17 October 1897; died 28 September 1915.
1915	1930	William Richard Moore	Elected 10 November and consecrated 30 November 1915; died 23 February 1930.
1930	1939	Arthur Barton	Elected 4 April and consecrated 1 May 1930; translated to Dublin 15 February 1939.
1939	1950	Albert Edward Hughes	A former Inspector of Schools; elected 14 December 1938 and consecrated 25 April 1939; resigned 12 May 1950; died 12 May 1954
1950	1955	Frederick Julian Mitchell	Elected 28 July and consecrated 21 September 1950; translated to Down and Dromore 18 October 1950.
1956	1958	Charles Tyndall	Elected 16 December 1955 and consecrated 2 February 1956; translated to Derry and Raphoe 14 October 1958.
1959	1981	Edward Francis Butler Moore	Elected 28 November 1958 and consecrated 6 January 1959; resigned 31 May 1981; his son was James Edward Moore, Bishop of Connor;
1981	1993	Gilbert Wilson	Elected 11 June and consecrated 21 September 1981; retired in 1993; died 21 June 1999.
1993	2000	Michael Mayes	Elected and consecrated in 1993; translated to Limerick and Killaloe in 2000;
2001	2012	Ken Clarke	Elected 13 November 2000 and consecrated 25 January 2001; installed at Kilmore 18 February 2001 and at Sligo 25 February 2001.
2013	present	Ferran Glenfield	Consecrated 31 May 2013.

Outside links

• Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh
• Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh
• Kilmore Cathedral architecture and stained glass windows (Gloine)

References

• Historical Successions: Kilmore - Crockfords